Dirty Tackle

Non-league chairman pays fans to attend first home match of the season

Establishing a new club in the 11th tier of English football can be difficult. But there are few better ways to get attention and ensure people turn up at the ground than to pay them to attend. So with that in mind, Hull United AFC chairman Jamie Waltham offered to pay £2 — the normal price for a ticket — to every spectator who attended their home opener against Hedon Rangers on Wednesday night.

While Premier League fans protest exorbitant ticket prices, the 33-year-old chairman is hoping to endear his new club (formerly known as St. Andrews) to local football fans with the unbeatable value that also includes £2 pints and free passes to this weekend's HullFest music festival (a £3 value!) at their Dene Park ground.

"I have long believed our city deserves a top non-league side inside the Hull boundary, which can provide an alternative and more affordable level of football to Hull City," the 33-year-old told theHull Daily Mail.

"Everyone is very proud of the lofty heights they've now reached, but it means being able to afford a ticket isn't always a possibility for everyone.

"That's why we want to pay people to come and watch our first league game.

"We want them to come and see if it is something they may enjoy. If they like it, we hope they will come again.

"The more people that turn up the better – even if it costs me more money."

Hull United won their first Humber Premier League match of the new season 3-0 and this promotion has helped bring the club a level of publicity that few 11th-tier clubs achieve. It even got them a spot on the Sky Sports News ticker.